Here’s some good Captain America: The First Avenger casting news: Neal McDonough (Minority Report, Flags of Our Fathers) is reportedly in talks to play the ‘Howling Commando’ Dum Dum Dugan in Joe Johnston‘s film.

Deadline has the ‘in talks’ news, and if McDonough ends up in the film he’d likely fight alongside Samuel L. Jackson‘s Colonel Nick Fury — at least if we’re going by the commonly-used history of the characters. This could also put McDonough in line to appear in later Marvel movies like The Avengers, depending upon the fate of the Howling Commandos in Captain America.

OK, sure, McDonough is blond and the consistent comic depiction of Dugan is as a round-faced redhead. But McDonough has the right energy for the part, he’s big enough, and everything else is cosmetic, and easily made to fit. (I’ve seen fancasting that hoped for Ted Levine as Dugan, and while I love that, because Levine is great, I think this will work out just fine.)

Here’s the Marvel Wikia rundown of Dugan. Reading this, it’s easy to wonder if he’ll end up being part of a mini-boss fight, and that leads me to wonder if he’ll make it out of the movie alive. Fans will be angry if he doesn’t…

During World War II, while working as a circus strongman, Dugan helps Nick Fury and Sam Sawyer escape the Nazis during a mission. Dugan later joins the British Army, and when Sawyer is charged with creating Fury’s First Attack Squad, also known as the Howling Commandos, Sawyer invites Dugan to become second in command. His exceptional strength saves the day in several of his adventures with the group. During his time with the Howlers Dugan became skilled on all Allied small weapons and gained experience in all forms of hand to hand combat, especially Judo. With his trademark derby, Dum Dum frequently struck fear into the Nazi and Japanese enemies in mission after mission. Such were the Howling Commandos feared by the Third Reich, a counter squad of elite fighters, the Blitzkrieg Squad was formed, and among their number, bar room brawler Siegfried, whose story of defeating six men with his bare hands made it to the ears of Von Strucker, was chosen to stand against Dum Dum Dugan.